It was entertaining and fun. Didn’t love the miscommunication trope or the weird love triangle she included in this for no reason. Loved the 2 characters but I I wish she focused more on their chemistry. The short chapters I think took away from the overall story. Pls for the love of god don’t put short chapters in romance books it doesn’t read well.

Overall love her political romance books very unique trope.

Thanks netgalley for my ebook in exchange for an honest review.

MISS ASHLEY WINSTEAD, ARE YOU A MYTH? because I seriously cannot believe your talent, your way with words, your ability to switch from dark academia to cutie romcoms to the darkest cult thriller of all time flawlessly, and of course your loving personality 🥹🫶🏼

THE BOYFRIEND CANDIDATE picks up where FOOL ME ONCE left off - and while it’s not a necessity to read these in order, there are character crossovers and references to the first novel! and can I tell you that even though texas politics suck, these stories make me want to move there??? like what???

alexis is the most relatable MC ashley has written to date - someone who goes through grief, doesn’t want to be famous but great in her own mind, and surrounds herself only with people who choose to be in her life 🥰it was so refreshing (especially after the lovable chaos that was lee stone) and I sapped up every moment

logan, on the other hand, is a lovable ditz who can’t see past his own nose and is TERRIBLE at communicating his emotions… but I loved him even more for it

the entire plot surrounded around logan’s governor election, which I absolutely adored, but it’s definitely a lot if you’re not expecting the political aspects! I can’t decide whether I liked this one or FOOL ME ONCE more because they were both so similar but the MCs (even though they’re sisters) are so unique!

I absolutely adored this shitstorm of a couple - they really had it all from one bed tropes, fake dating, friends to lovers, guy falls first … I literally could keep going …

a HUGE thank you to ashley and graydon publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this may be my favorite romance novel of the year!!!!

rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel

Introverted school librarian Alexis decides to break out of her comfort zone and finds herself unexpectedly in the media spotlight and asked to pretend to date Texas’ young new gubernatorial candidate.

I enjoyed the election/campaign setting in this novel, especially how true-to-life the teachers union and educational budgetary cut details felt. This was a one day read that definitely held my interest, and Wingate created some great chemistry between her characters. I look forward to checking out her other works.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced manuscript copy to review.

Ashley Winstead consistently delivers whether she aims to excite or charm her readers. The Boyfriend Candidate captivated me with its sincere and romantic scenes, as well as its clever humor throughout the entire story.

It’s no surprise that Ashley Winstead has become one of my all time favorite authors. I’ve read 3 out of the 4 books she’s written and I’ve loved all of them immensely but this one is by far my favorite!

Alexis Stone is content being a school librarian and keeping herself out of the spotlight. After a bad breakup and getting told she’s “bad in bed”, she decides it’s time to change some things. What better what to start by having her first one night stand? Enter Logan, the beautiful, foul mouthed stranger she meets at the bar. He isn’t your typical guy you’d meet at a bar. He’s the Logan Arthur running for governor.

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved every second of reading it. I adored Alexis and Logan so much and their relationship was so cute. I loved their bickering and Logan’s sweet side was just perfection. I’m always a sucker for a good fake dating rom-com and this one was just spot on!

I highly recommend picking this one up on May 9th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Graydon House Books for the e-arc!

I really enjoyed this book; it was my first by Ashley Winstead, and It had many elements I liked.
The boyfriend candidate is about Alexis, a librarian who is an introvert. She was dumped by her ex for being too shy and people-pleasing.
Logan the mc is a politician running for governor of Texas. He’s garnered popularity through his unconventional ways. They agree to start dating to boost his campaign.

Alexis was a really great character, I loved how she came into her own throughout this book and develops into a character that stands up for herself and what she believes in. She was so relatable, and seeing her campaign for things and advocate for herself was great to see. Logan was also a good character I love politics, so it was nice to see a character who truly believed in helping people. He did come off as a little stiff at times because of his focus on his campaign though I liked how he gave Alexis the space to grow during the campaign trail.

The romance in this was a cute slow burn, I found myself a little annoyed by some of the miscommunication, but I liked it and was rooting for the characters.

Overall this was a good story that had the backdrop of a political campaign. It also had good character development, a fmc finding her passion and gaining confidence, and a sweet romance!

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley, for this arc for an honest review.

January 17, 2023
4.25

Ashley is literally one of my favourite authors out there and I will literally read anything she writes. So when I got an advanced galley of this book, I squealed in excitement. And as expected, it didn't disappoint.

All Alexis Stone wanted was a simple one-night stand to get over her recent breakup. And she almost gets it when she meets Logan at the bar. But when the hotel catches fire - of course it does - the night ends with Alexis being carried out of the hotel room in his arms. And then she finds out that he's a politician when the photos appear the next day. Enter the fake dating plot.

This was just pure amazingness!! Funny from the first page to the very last, off the charts chemistry and lovable characters that make this book absolutely wonderful.

If anyone's read Fool Me Once, Ashley's debut rom-com, then readers will know that Alexis is Lee Stone's sister. And while I loved her first one, Ashley managed to top it because this one was even better! Alexis is a librarian and I loved everything about her, and the more I read about her, the more, I wanted to do was hug her with every page.

This book is more than just a romantic comedy. It's a book of self-discovery, pain and grief, and I related with Alexis' character on so many different levels.

Ashley, you've managed to do it again, and as always, I'm in awe of your craft. I can't wait for readers to fall in love with Alexis and Logan just as much as I did!

Thank you HarperCollins for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

LOVED this book! This novel is fun, funny, and bit quirky. I loved the characters and I think everyone can identify a bit with Alexis - and everyone remembers the hot guy who was out of their league. But what if the wallflower connected with the hot guy? The sparks and humor flies. I was totally invested in the characters and wanted them to get their HEA ending. I stayed up way too late in the night reading because I couldn't put this book down.

This book is a winner! While this is the first book I've read by this author, it won't be the last all I'll be working my way through her prior novels. Fans of the genre will love this book and want to put it at the top of your TBR list.

This was such a fun book to stay up late to read! It had some great spice and characters and I enjoyed how it all came together! Well done by Winstead! Four stars and a big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead is a romance about a introverted librarian and an unconventional politician. They make a deal to start fake dating to help his campaign for governor of Texas.

I really liked Alexis. She was extremely relatable. She doesn't have it all together and she's not perfect. That's why I loved her. Logan was also a really good character. Under all the politics he's is just a soft boy who loves kittens.

The romance was really sweet and even has a couple of good steamy scenes near the end. My only annoyance is that they could've had better communication but that is usually a complaint I have with romance books.

Side note, I think it is so interesting when an author writes in 2 completely different genres like Ashley Winstead does.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc copy to review.

I loved the chemistry between Logan and Alexis. I liked that they both were working on themselves and helped each other along the way. I liked that it was set in Austin, TX. I am from Texas and I lived in Austin for awhile so I could see the setting and picture some places where they were.
I don't want to give anything away, but I really liked the ending.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Such a fun take on the fake dating trope set amongst a backdrop of (idealistic) Texas politics. I loved our foul-mouthed half Texan/half British main love interest so much. Contrasting with sweet, trodden over librarian Alexis, this couple made no sense and absolutely all the sense in the world. My only wish is that I could have a celebrity cast formed before I started reading so I could better play out this book in my mind like the romcom movie it felt like!

This is the second in the Stone Sisters series and can be read as a standalone but there are some really stellar scenes with Lee Stone that you would appreciate more if you've read Fool Me Once first.

Ashley Winstead sure can write some twisted psychos that will have your eyes bulge out when you're reading her thrillers but her romance is where she shines for me!! I'm obsessed with her writing, her banter, and how relatable her characters are. I was truly cackling out loud throughout that my husband even asked what was going on in the book which he rarely does anymore!! One of my favorite scenes is when Ruby Dangerfield was describing the plot to a children's book as one of her own life experiences.

The Boyfriend Candidate is a romance in a political setting and is a fake dating, m. Alexis is so relatable and is a shy girl that is an introvert, complex, likable, inspirational, and passionate. I love how much you learn about the education and political world from this story. I also loved their story arcs and where the characters ended up with their professional and personal goals

Recommend if you enjoy
Political world setting
Fake dating
Mutual pining
Pro teachers!

My new favorite romance book from Ashley Winstead!

Thank you to HTP Books and Ashley Winstead for our copy of The Boyfriend Candidate!

This book is available May 9, 2023!

Rating: 4.5 star
Genre: Romance

Thoughts - Alexis and Logan....I LOVED them! Swoon! I really loved this book.

Full disclosure - there are heavy political topics throughout the book.

I was just sucked in from the beginning and flew through this book. It was one of those books where you just love the main characters and cannot stop reading! A fake dating trope can be hit or miss for me, but this one worked!

Oh Ashley Winstead how I love you!

When I saw this book had a school librarian as one of the main characters, I knew I had to read it. I think most librarians can agree there is always a little extra fun when there is a main character who is a Librarian. This book was done especially well because the library side fit pretty well with reality, though a more optimistic one then the one we are currently struggling through. The romance, too, was well done. It was a very slow burn with a fake dating premise. Admittedly, more slow burn then I generally enjoy. At times, I felt like yelling "Just be honest with each other!". But, there is an appeal with this and the book did end in an HEA, so I can't complain. Will definitely be recommending this one for people who like some political drama, fake dating with real feels, and an HEA.

There isn't an Ashley Winstead book I haven't loved. Alexis is mousy and shy and is trying to fly out of her comfort zone by trying a one night stand. Unfortunately, true to form, things don't go her way. Just when things heat up, they really heat up with a fire in the hotel and they are caught leaving the hotel together. On camera. Just like that, her hookup flees without a glance backward.
Logan is running for governor and doesn't need bad press. When he sees the paps taking his picture with Alexis, he can't get out of there fast enough. This looks bad for the campaign and so they need an angle. They ask Alexis to pose as Logan's girlfriend just for the election, so he has a chance to redeem himself.
I related to Alexis so much in this story. She was shy, yes, but she also spoke up for what she believed in and made a crappy situation better by using it to benefit her agenda. The fact that her sister is Lee, yes that Lee from Fool Me Once, doesn't hurt matters. I loved seeing their sisterly bond grow through this novel and I also loved seeing what a goner Logan was for Alexis at every turn. His words often didn't match his actions. He wanted to be near her so badly the pining was palpable, and it wasn't even from his POV.
"Do you know what it's like to work for something your whole life and then have someone walk in and become the most important thing to you in an instant?" And I just swooned myself onto the floor.
Thank you to Harlequin, Ashley Winstead and Netgalley for an early copy.

omG i loved it so much. i knew i would. AW has become a favorite author of mine at an incredibly quick rate. her ability to write so well across so many different genres is incredibly inspiring. and the fact that she has written 5 books in 3 years is crazy ridiculous 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃 but i look forward to every single she you will put out.

I cannot describe how much I loved this swoon worthy slow burn. Logan and Alexis’s fake dating, mutual pining story is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Did I go back and reread each of their 1:1 scenes before savoring the ending? Definitely. Loved this even more than the first in the series. Alexis is a relatable shy girl’s dream; it’s rare to feel like introverts are represented in romance novels in a way that is so likable, complex, and genuine. I’m sure I’m not the only reader who saw so much of myself in her. And what can I say about Logan except that he is absolute perfection to complement her, so passionate and so in love with her. If we can just make a trope out of this book I would read so many more versions of it. Can you tell I’m gushing? Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is out in May and you should run, not walk, to preorder it.

Logan Arthur is running for Governor of Texas. 🇺🇸 Alexis Stone is a shy librarian. 📚 You wouldn’t expect their paths to cross. But when Alexis goes out on the town with a mission of proving herself to be the new and improved, bold & daring Alexis, she and Logan have quite the meet-cute. After being photographed in a compromising position, 📸 Logan’s team decides to do damage control by asking Alexis to fake-date Logan until the election. 🗳 But as Alexis and Logan spend time together, things begin to feel less fake and more real… ❤️

The Boyfriend Candidate can be read as a stand-alone novel, but all the characters from Fool Me Once are back in this book. 🥳 SO, I highly recommend reading Fool Me Once while you wait for The Boyfriend Candidate to be released.

Okay where do I start??? The tension. 😍 The whispered moments. 😍😍 THE LIBRARY SCENE. 😍😍😍 I devoured this book and I cannot wait for Winstead’s next romance!

You know what’s funny? I JUST said that I didn’t like a different book because of all the political talk. This book was FULL of politics, but I loved it. The difference is that I never felt like Winstead was pushing her political views down my throat. I appreciate politics, different views, and I love when an author can meld politics and romance without the book being a turn off for either side. Winstead is great at this. Winstead did it with Fool Me Once & she did it again with The Boyfriend Candidate. 👏🏼 I cannot recommend this one enough!

There's this scene where they're at a restaurant, but Winstead keeps describing the servers in increasingly discomfiting ways and...I laughed hard enough to startle the dog awake when a disembodied arm slid an entre in front of a character. That's all I'm saying.